Reality
by AquaScor
Summary: The continuously growing relationship between her and Goliath causes Elisa to take stock of what she wants out of life.
1. Chapter 1

I know Gargoyles is so passé but I wrote this story ages ago and decided to post it. These characters so belong to Disney so send no money….just enjoy!

Elisa sat waiting in her living room for something to happen. She was still reeling from the dream she had. It had been over two weeks since she had that dream but it was reliving itself, night after night and she hadn't told anyone about it. It was like keeping the worst kind of secret ever because it was eating her up but she couldn't tell anyone. She had done everything she could think of, not to think about it but now, as she sat in her living room, on her night off, with most of the clan in Avalon, she found herself thinking about that.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

"What!" Startled, Elisa jumped off the couch, turning to face the voice.

"Wasn't that the right thing to say?"

"Yes, you just startled me is all," She jumped into the arms of her visitor, planting a kiss firmly on the mouth of her friend.

"I am happy to see you too."

"I thought you and the clan were in Avalon?"

"Yes, I returned early to spend some time with you. I also had a favor to ask."

"You know I'll do anything for you, Goliath."

"Could you spend some time with Angela? Talk to her, see what's going on with her."

"Is something wrong?"

"Ever since our last encounter with Demona, she's been a bit out of touch. What little time she spends with the clan, she hardly speaks to anyone. She just looks out into the sky and cries. Neither Broadway or I can comfort her."

"This is very hard for her Goliath. She grew up being loved and she's been used and manipulated by someone she thinks should love her."

"Demona has rejected all of her clan that she cannot control. I've never been as open to it as I am now. She wants power, she always has and the rest of us just get in her way."

"You loved her Goliath; you didn't want to see those things."

"But it was there Elisa. It was always there, right in front of me and I just refused to see it but the first night of our reunion said all that I couldn't all those years ago." They had since sat down and Elisa brought Goliath's head down to her lap and stroked his hair.

"Relax." After a few moments she heard the familiar rumbles from deep in his throat and she smiled, unaware of him noticing. "You like that, do you?"

"Yes."

"Goliath, sometimes you are too simple for words."

"Thank you, I think, but I'm going to have to ask you another favor."

"Shoot."

"Tell me about your dream the other night."

"Goliath, I've told you before, it was nothing."

"I want to know because it seemed to upset you." Goliath turned in her lap so he could see her face. He often spent nights studying her as she slept. He replayed her every expression of the night as she slept beside him. This feeling was so different that what he felt for Demona so many years ago. Elisa was truly his equal; she was trustworthy and had no use for power and manipulations - she just wanted to keep her city safe.

"Is it warm in here, or is it just me?" Elisa asked changed the subject, while fanning her face. She rubbed the back of her neck then moved both hands to the bottom of her shirt and pulled it up and over her head, leaving her clad in her jeans and camisole.

"Elisa, what are you doing?"

"I'm hot Goliath, so I took my shirt off."

"Maybe you should..."

"Maybe I should what, put my shirt back on, it defeats the purpose, besides its just underwear.

"It would probably be best..."

"…If you relax. I'm fully clothed some people actually leave their home in just what I'm wearing now. Goliath opened his mouth to speak and Elisa silenced him by placing a finger over his mouth. She moved her hand to his neck and began massaging it, delighting in the rumble that emerged from his throat. Her hand moved to his hair and she rested her head on the back of the couch. Goliath looked up at her with a smile and relaxed enjoying the feeling of her hand in his hair.

_**"The choice is yours for the asking, but there can be no turning back."**_

_**"I need both, I must have both."**_

_**"You must choose"**_


	2. Chapter 2

Hope you enjoyed Chapter 1. Please remember to review!

"How did your talk with Elisa go, lad?"

"She said she would speak with Angela tonight. She is in fact, there now."

"And of the other matter?"

"She waylaid me, well, I might add." Goliath looked at Hudson and almost felt pity for him. He knew his mentor acted as if he lacked nothing but he knew that many nights his older mentor was haunted by what might have been.

"And how did she do that, lad?" Hudson watched as Goliath blushed, a thing he had never seen before. "That approach, eh, it works every time." Hudson chuckled causing Goliath to look away.

"It was nothing of the sort."

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. You're a man; she's a woman. You do care for the lass, don't you?"

"Yes but..."

"You have needs lad, as does she. You can only be noble but so long."

"What about..."

"Everything will work itself out lad but I would be wanting to get this other old business out of the way before hand."

"She evades it every time I bring it up."

"Ay lad, which is what worries me. It has never been my observance of Elisa to keep secrets when it's not necessary. Something about all this worries me."

Goliath looked out into the sky, unsure of what to do next. Then he turned to Hudson. "Maybe you could talk to her, she trusts you."

"Ay, but not like she trusts you. You may need to send in someone of her own species after your questions."

Goliath looked back out to the horizon. "Matt may be able to talk to her."

"I meant more like a woman."

"I can ask Beth or Diane..."

Hudson spotted Fox moving up the castle wall in full stealth mode. He hushed Goliath with a finger to his lips. He slowly moved into her path and lifted her by the back of her shirt, depositing her with a light thud before Goliath.

"Now she be the one you be needin' to do the deed. She be the only one, I figure, to get one up on your detective."

"I should have known you would have spotted me Hudson. Every since the surgery, both eyes have working very well and your peripheral vision has increased two fold." She spoke while pulling herself up to a standing position between the two.

"Fox."

"Please, call me Janine."

"Since when do you go by that name?"

"Since I've become the parent of a kindergartener and found myself in both my parents' good graces."

"Why are ya spying on us lass?"

"Because you two keep secrets like Fort Knox and I'm worried about you. I hardly see anyone but Lex anymore and I haven't seen him in weeks."

"The trio and Bronx are in Avalon and Angela is visiting with Elisa," Goliath said looking at her.

"Is something wrong with my mother?"

"No, they're just visiting. I do have a favor to ask of you."

"Tell me the favor first and we'll see."

"I need you to talk to Elisa for me."

"A lover's spat?"

"No, she had a dream a few weeks ago that seems to have thrown her off but she won't tell me what's going on."

"A woman is entitled to a few secrets."

"Yes, but this troubles me. She's often not focused and she seems to not be eating well."

"Plus," Hudson added, "her recent choice in reading material is adding to my worries."

"Reading material?" Goliath asked cocking his head to the side.

"Ay, the spells and incantations section of the library." Hudson answered.

"I thought Xanatos had those removed?" Golitah continued.

"Not the ones for Alex's training," Foxx answered, moving to lean against the parapet. "Is she home now?"

"Angela is with her right now and I'd prefer to not worry her with this right now because she has her own things on her mind right now."

"I'll be happy to help Goliath, but I'm not making any promises. Your detective is one hard nut to crack."

"Thank you," he said as he watched her wave to them and walk away. He turned to Hudson. "Have I done the right thing?"

"She can be a lot more resourceful than ya think lad. Have faith."

Fox walked into her bedroom, changing her clothes then grabbing her shoes and a jacket from the closet. She sat on the chair under the window, slipping one foot into her sneaker, pulling it tight and tying it. She repeated the process with the other foot as she heard entering footsteps. She finished tying and without skipping a beat, stood and pulled on her jacket.

"Yes David?"

"Where are you off to?"

"To run an errand."

"This time of night. Does this have anything to do with your precious gargoyles?"

"I'm no more favored to them than you are David."

"Right," he said removing his jacket and hanging it on the back of a different chair.

"You sound like a jealous lover, David. I'll be back in a few hours, don't wait up."

"I would prefer you didn't. I know you're fully capable of handling yourself, even you can't beat a bullet."

"I'm going to see a detective on a mission of goodwill. I hardly believe death will come looking for me tonight."

"Can't one of them go with you, for my peace of mind?"

"No, but Angela is there now, I'll be sure to have her come back with me."

"Now what business do you have with Detective Mazza?"

"I told you David, this is a mission of goodwill. You've turned over an entirely new leaf and done nothing more extravagant than spoil our son rotten. I have decided to follow suit." She walked over to the bed where a pajama bottomed David lay in bed. She leaned down kissing him on the lips. "Besides, I love you too much to turn you in."

"I still don't like it."

"Tough." She walked out the door and he just watched her leave.


	3. Chapter 3

I hope you enjoyed this story…Final installment. Don't forget to give a review…

"I know my father asked you to talk to me Elisa but I'm fine. I just need some time alone."

"I hear you've had a lot of time alone, especially with Broadway and the terrible twosome in Avalon. Tell me the truth Angela, is this because of Demona?"

"I just need to make my heart understand what my head already knows."

"Which is?" Elisa pressed.

"That she can only love me if I turn my back on my father, the man that I love and the woman who raised me and join her in destroying humanity. I can't do that, even for her love."

"You shouldn't have to," Elisa said putting her arms around the female gargoyle, "And if she ever really loved you she would never ask you to."

Elisa could feel her wall lowering and Angela began crying. She just held her close and as her mother used to do with her when she was a child, she spoke lightly and made sure every touch and word was filled with the love she had for her.

She envied Demona for having the one connection to Goliath she would never have and wasting it. She in no way wanted to lose Goliath to his former lover, but if she had found out about Angela and she were Demona, She would be using it as an opportunity to get to know her daughter and rejoin her clan. But she wasn't Demona and never would be. She gave a silent _'thank God_' and continued comforting the crying gargoyle in her arms until she felt her fall asleep in her arms. Elisa rested Angela's head in her lap and stroked her hair as she had done with Goliath the night before.

Every time she thought of him, the dream came back to haunt her and she though of him often. "Oh Angela, I wish that you could just feel better. I wish I could take all this pain away." Elisa heard the doorbell and carefully eased herself from under Angela, to answer the door.

"Oh hello Fox."

"It's Janine."

"Janine, can I help you?"

"No, but I'm here to help you," she said pushing past Elisa into her apartment. She saw the sleeping gargoyle on the couch. "Is Angela okay?"

"She's hurt and the heart takes longer to mend."

"How's your heart mending?"

"My heart's never been broken, Fox." She intentionally used the other woman's former alias to make a point. They were never friends. Over the last year they had all learned to live with each other but she and the other woman had never truly bonded.

"I saw your face when you thought Goliath was gone. I saw you hold that young woman in your arms like she was a small child and I could tell your heart was broken. You need to talk to someone, and I'm volunteering."

She took off her jacket, hanging it over the back of the couch, walking around Elisa's apartment aimlessly. She looked down at Angela on the couch and bent down, kissing the gargoyle's forehead.

"How long do you think it's going to take her to realize that Demona can never be the mother she wants or needs?"

"She already does, she just can't make her heart understand. She wants a mother Fox…Janine. One who isn't using her to further her own sadistic plans to kill her father and family."

"I didn't mean to upset you. I really do care what happens to her for several reasons."

"Enlighten me," Elisa said walking to the kitchen.

Fox followed her while answering her question. "For one, Alex loves her almost as much as he loves Lexington. Since she's been this way, she barely spends any time with him and it's like he knows because he cries a lot these days. My other reason may sound strange to you but listen well. I don't want to see Goliath hurt. He loves that girl and if anything happened to her he would die. I know because of how I feel for my son and we can relate that way."

"So you know so much about Goliath now?"

"No Elisa but I'm trying. Now that things aren't so dangerous anymore, I'm realizing that I want to get to know them. I have something in common with Goliath as a parent and as someone in love."

"Goliath's in love?"

"Don't be coy Elisa. I know you both have very strong feelings for each other. I'm just wondering why you've been so scarce recently."

"I've needed some time alone. I have a lot on my mind."

"What **is** on your mind Elisa?" Foxx walked over to her refrigerator, opening it and perusing for something to drink. Pulling out a bottle of water, she closed the fridge and returned to her seat around Elisa's kitchen bar.

"Stuff."

"Stuff like what? I've never seen you around another woman, so I am figuring you have no female friends and since we already spend unusual amounts of time in the same place you could take advantage of the opportunity."

"Janine, thank you for your offer but there's nothing on my mind."

"Oh there is and I believe it has something to do with that young woman," she said pointing to Elisa's living room, "and her father. You love her like a mother should. You would die for her or kill for her without a thought. I can see it in your eyes. You love them both and you need to just let it be, don't question it."

"There's more to it than that and I can't have this conversation with you." Elisa stood up and walked into the living room to see Angela stirring. She was talking in her sleep and tossing and turning. She put her hand on her arm. "Angela."

The girl flew up and into her arms. "Oh Elisa I was having the most awful dream."

"It's okay Angela, it was just a dream."

"But it seemed so real."

"That's how dreams are sometimes. You want to talk about it."

"It was Demona, she told me I needed to choose or she'd kill them. She killed them anyway and when she tried to kill you and she couldn't she would just got angrier. She said it was your fault Goliath left her and that you were trying to steal me away from her too and she'd see you dead for it."

"She's almost right," Janine said coming out from behind the wall where she was listening in. "Hello Angela."

"Janine, spying as usual."

"Old habits are hard to break, young one, but I stand by convictions."

"You're not helping," Elisa said.

"Let me explain myself. Your dream is true with the usual Demona spin on things. Though I myself never really knew her, David has told me about her psychology is often..."

"Father calls them half truths," Angela interjected.

"Yes," Janine continued, "and in her mind Elisa has done all that but the truth is Elisa loves you and Goliath. It is unconditional." Janine looked directly at Angela, making the rest of what she said clear to the gargoyle before her. "We both know that she cares for Goliath a lot more than either of them wants to admit and that they are willing to give their lives for each other. She also loves you like a daughter and would also give her life for you."

"That's irrelevant. Angela knows the clan is my family."

"You really think that?"

"I thought you all knew that."

"Yes," Janine interjected, "you would fight for all of them but for Angela and Goliath you would die.

"You keep bringing up that point," Elisa said getting up. "What is your point? They are my family. The trio is like my younger brothers or like my sons and Hudson is like the grandfather I never really got to know. And yes, Angela and Goliath are my family. So what? None of this is news, everybody knows."

"I didn't know Elisa, but I understand now." Angela stood up then hugged Elisa fiercely, "thank you…..mother." Angela went to the window preparing to leave when Janine stopped her.

"Angela, could you wait for me please?"

"Why?"

"I promised David I wouldn't come back alone."

"And you always keep your promises to him?"

"I try."

"I'll be outside. Don't be long, I want to go home." Angela walked out onto the patio, closing the door behind her.

Janine looked at Elisa, beckoning her to sit. "Now tell me the rest, the short version."

"Can I trust you?"

"If you're asking if I'm running home to tell Goliath, the answer is no. Am I going to lie to him if he asks, no. I'll tell him only what I think he needs to know, otherwise, I know nothing."

"Your mother came to me in a dream."

"Titania?"

"Yes and she said she knew what I wanted and was willing to give it to me while giving me time to put my affairs in order."

"What is it that you want?"

Elisa took deep breath and looked away. "To be a gargoyle."

"Continue."

"I saw it in a dream, we were happy. We fought about my change more than once but by time I woke up, I was pregnant and we were ecstatic."

"That was quite a reverie," Janine said not completely surprised by Elisa's confession. "Now the question is; what do you want?"

"I can't leave one family for another."

"No but you can't spend the rest of your life unhappy either. I thought you were going to pass out in that prison when I said I was in love with David but I was. He may not have been your idea of the man or your dreams, or mine but the heart wants what the heart wants. You don't choose who you love Elisa, just whether or not to be happy with who your heart has chosen."

"What about..."

"What about what? Sex? Babies? Let everything happen in its own time." She stood up looking at her watch. "Dear god, I have to go. If I don't get home soon, David is going to have an aneurysm." She began walking toward the patio when Elisa stopped her.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome; we girls need to stick together. And by the way, as much as I'm sure you like your privacy, the castle walls are concrete and barely a word gets out."

"I don't think we're at that place yet."

"Right," Janine said dismissing Elisa's statement. She opened the door the patio and glanced at Angela.

"Ready to go Angel-face?"

"It's about time."

"Bye Elisa," Janine said wrapping her arms around the female gargoyles neck as she picked her up in her arms.

"Thanks for the visit you two."

"See you tomorrow, mother." Angela stepped off the patio and into the brisk wind. Elisa watched until they were out of sight.

"I love you too, Angela," Elisa said walking in from her patio, closing the door. She walked into her bedroom and fell straight asleep, fully clothed. She felt better than she had in weeks and began understanding what she needed to do.


End file.
